Is there Reality a place
called Hell?

More and more "religious people" are rejecting the Biblical
doctrine of hell. They contend that the God of love and mercy
could not create such a place as hell and confine man, who is
created in his own image, to such a horrible place for eternity.

If there is an eternal hell, you are entitled to know about it
to be warned thereby. If the notion of a hell of torment is a
doctrine of men, you are certainly entitled to know that. It would
be morally wrong to teach the idea of a burning hell just to scare
men into doing certain things. In the course of this study we
will go to God, who cannot lie, and find the truth on this subject.

The fact of sin's existence proves that there is a hell. From
the Bible we learn that sin is "the transgression of the
law" I John 3:4. But if there were no penalty imposed for
breaking the law, the law would be worthless. Take, for example,
the laws that govern speed on our highways. Why do we learn these
laws and take care to obey them? For one thing, we know that there
are policemen on duty who are charged with arrested speeders.
If there were no laws to regulate speed, men could drive at any
speed they desired and not be guilty of crime. But there are laws
and the speed limit is specified on every street and highway in
the state. And, in order to make the laws effective, there are
penalties for their violation and men charged with enforcing them.

In the very same way, the law of God would be meaningless if there
were no penalty for its transgression. The fact of a penalty for
the violation of God's law is an incentive for men to obey him
rather than transgress his laws. Sin, the violation of God's law,
is an unquestioned reality; therefore, hell, the penalty for sin,
must be a reality. The Bible ascribes many characteristics to
God. He is described as love; but he is also described as a God
of justice. Neither of these characteristics should be so exaggerated
as to exclude the other. Some have supposed that since God is
a God of great love, he could not possibly bring suffering to
anyone for any reason. But, because he is also a God of justice
and holiness, he must punish sin.

The writer of the book of Hebrews makes this very same argument
about necessary punishment for sin. Notice it carefully. "Therefore
we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we
have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the
word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and
disobedience received a just recompense of reward; how shall we
escape if we neglect so great salvation? Which at the first began
to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us bv them that
heard him Hebrews 2:1-3. God must punish those who break his law.
Since his law is the highest and holiest of all laws, it necessarily
demands the greatest penalty for its violation. Hell does exist!

Furthermore, the reality of hell is clearly seen because Christ
clearly taught it. He once said, "And if thy hand offend
thee, cut if off; it is better for thee to enter into life maimed,
than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never
shall be quenched" Mark 9:43. And, in giving a picture of
future judgement, the Lord represented himself as saying to those
on his left hand, "Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" Matthew 25:41.
We should not hesitate to say that we believe every statement
that Jesus ever made to be a true statement. These statements
that he made about a literal hell of torment cannot be dismissed
as inconsequential to our study. There can be no doubt that there
is a real hell, for Christ taught it. This doctrine is not, as
some have suggested, from men; but it is from God and is clearly
taught in the Scriptures.

What does the Bible tell us about Hell? First, hell is described
as a place of fire and brimstone. "But the fearful, and unbelieving,
and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers,
and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake
which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death"
Revelation 21:8. Someone will always ask the question, after reading
this verse, "Will hell be literal fire and brimstone - as
we know these substances?" Probably not. We don't expect
heaven to be made of literal gold, pearls and precious stones.
When the Bible speaks of streets of gold and gates of pearl, we
understand that accommodative language is being used. Since heaven
is a spiritual place which is composed of elements that we do
not even know about, God had to describe it to us in human language
and use descriptive terms which would impress us with the fact
of heaven's beauty and grandeur. In the same way, we should understand
"fire and brimstone" to be descriptive human terms which
God chose to impress us with the fact of hell's horror.

Second, hell is described as a place of "weeping and gnashing
of teeth". "The Son of man shall send forth his angels,
and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend,
and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace
of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth" Matthew
13:41-42. There is no more heart-rending sound on earth than to
hear a grown person cry out in severe pain and to literally grind
his teeth together in anguish and suffering. The Lord warns us
that hell will be a place where suffering will be so intense that
men will not be able to restrain their cries. How frightening
are the consequences of sin!

Third, hell is described as a place of outer darkness. In the
Parable of the Talents, the man who buried his talent in the soil
was called an unprofitable servant and was cast "into outer
darkness" Matthew 25:30. There is no description of hell's
horrors which more nearly impresses its terror as this. It is
the nature of all living things to seek light. Men have even developed
artificial light for use in times of natural darkness. Needing
and wanting light as we do, try to imagine an existence in total
darkness. Just to think of such a prospect as this is uncomfortable
to the human mind!

All these descriptions of hell combine in our minds to paint an
awful picture of doom and hopelessness. Indeed, hell is a place
where there is absolutely no prospect of present or future blessings
from God. It is a place of eternal punishment for all men who
choose to disobey God.